Mirror Image
by LoveStory87
Summary: Max and Alec have a child together who is in love with Logan's son. Will they overcome the obstacles in their way or will their story be a mirror image of their parents?
1. Chapter 1

Terminal City was home to many of Manticore's little projects. Some blocks housed what they would call anomalies and then there was a group that looked just like her. Rachel Guevara rode her motorcycle through the quiet early morning streets cursing her mother who had passed along her inability to get any sleep. Most of the inhabitants of this freak town were snuggled in their beds enjoying a night of blissful oblivion while she had to fight back the anger that was bubbling just under the surface.

She was okay with the fact that her parents weren't in love with each other. It wasn't exactly something they had hid from her. When she was fifteen they had sat her down and told her the messy situation; which had caused her birth and she had been fine with it. But this took the cake. One thing she wasn't even a little okay with was the fact that her mother was in love with Wyatt Cale's dad.

The anger inside her eased some when she thought of Wyatt. He was the love of her life and she would give anything to be with him but a transgenic dating an ordinary wasn't something she was going to do in this time of turmoil. After eighteen years the transgenics were still stuck behind a high gate that was bombarded by a crowd of protestors. Ames White was long gone. He had been put to rest by none other than her mother and even though they weren't gone the breeding cult had disappeared off the radar since then.

The only problems they had been having was getting along with the ordinaries that were parked outside the gate but she wasn't going to put Wyatt's life in danger. Her mom had always told her that when one bad guy was taken care of the next one wasn't far behind. What could she say; her mother wasn't very good at bedtime stories. It didn't help that Wyatt had been shot trying to save her once. Rachel had been helping Logan with one of his Eye's Only projects and was shoved aside right before the bad guy of the day shot at her. Wyatt had been fine but after that she had decided to keep her distance from him. That was not as easy as it sounds.

After a year of near silence between Wyatt and her she had decided that she couldn't take it anymore. If nothing else she was going to spend the night in his arms. That was when she had found her mother fawning all over Logan Cale. Why couldn't her mother have just told her about this? Why all the secrecy? It now made sense why her mother had tried to keep Wyatt and her apart.

Rachel hadn't stayed very long to watch her mother make a fool out of herself but climbed right back on her bike and headed home to her empty apartment. She felt alone. More alone then she had ever felt before. There wasn't going to be any grand change of heart from her parent's. Alec McDowell was going to be the ultimate bachelor until the day he died.

Climbing off her bike she took the three flights of stairs up to her apartment. As she drew nearer she noticed a light beaming from under the door. Had she left a light on when she left? She couldn't remember doing so but with the state she was in anything was possible. Rachel opened the door unafraid who was behind it knowing she could take anyone. Her mom and dad had equipped her well in the art of fighting. She had started training at the age of seven.

"I hope you don't mind that I let myself in," Wyatt stood in the center of the room running a hand across his neck.

"What are you doing here?"

"My dad needs your help with one of his Eye's Only cases so I told him I would come down here and ask you myself."

"You told me that you don't want me doing anymore jobs for him," Rachel crossed the room and made herself comfortable on the couch.

"That's why I'm here and not my dad. I will tell him I asked but you said no."

"I can take care of myself Eye's Junior," she smirked at him knowing he hated when she called him that.

"It's not the only reason I'm here. I miss you, Rach. I know you're scared about us but don't run away from this."

Rachel looked away from him to wipe away the tear that was forming in her eye. "I'm different. I'll never be able to give you the normal life you deserve."

"Have you met my dad? I don't live a normal life as it is."

"I think you should go now."

Wyatt knelt in front of her and took her hand. His thumb brushed back and forth causing goosebumps to appear on her skin. "I love you Rachel, and you can try and push me away all you want but I'm not going anywhere. I'm tired of trying to hide my feelings for you and worrying that your mom doesn't approve of me. I'm just tired of it all."

"I can't do this," she stood up trying to hide in her room but he caught her arm and pulled her into his embrace. His lips sought hers and she melted against him knowing it had been too long since the last time they had been together. This was the man she was hoping to spend the rest of her life with but in the back on her mind she knew it could never happen. Her dad had warned her about what happens when you got involved with ordinaries. You could love them but eventually you would have to leave them.

Wyatt picked her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist aware of the direction he was heading. Wasn't this why she had gone to see him in the first place? She shouldn't let what she saw come between her and having a good night. Tomorrow she could interrogate her mother about her relationship with Logan. Tonight she wanted to spend the night forgetting that she was a killing machine.

Hours later Rachel laid on her bed appreciating the view Wyatt made. The covers that she had pulled up off the floor were draped over his legs and waist revealing his chest and muscular arms. His auburn hair was cut short but had been tousled by her hands running through it. She wondered what it would be like to wake up like this every morning. Some day a lucky lady would find out but odds were against it being she.

Rachel flipped over onto her stomach and saw his eyes flutter open. "How long was I asleep?"

"An hour."

"I guess I should be getting up and heading home."

"You don't have to rush."

Wyatt sat up against the backboard rubbing his eyes to wake himself up. He started rubbing her back till his hands found the sensitive spot on her neck. She knew what he was playing with. On the back of her neck was the only link between her and Manticore, her silver barcode. "Why do you have a barcode when all the rest of the new generations don't have one?"

She had wondered that herself, many times in fact. If it weren't for the barcode marking her as one of the transgenics she would have been gone years ago. This war wasn't hers, it was her mother's and she had already lost enough because of it. Rachel moved her hair to cover the offensive thing.

"Don't do that. I think it's sexy." Wyatt leaned down and kissed it sending a chill down her back.

"Stop," she sat up throwing her legs over the side of the bed. Her pants were on the floor and her other articles of clothing were scattered near by. She collected them all, getting dressed. "What do you want from me Wyatt? I've got nothing to give you."

"Tell me the truth for once. I want you to tell me that you love me and that I didn't give you my heart for nothing."

Rachel took a shuddering breath trying to stop the tears she felt coming on. "I feel nothing for you."

Wyatt walked up to her and cupped her face in his hands. "You're a liar." He kissed her pulling her body closer to his.

She couldn't let this happen. He deserved more from her. Rachel pushed against his chest till he let her go. "Lock the door before you leave." Without another glance she left him standing there wishing she could take it all back.

Head quarters was hopping like usual when Rachel strolled in. Her mother was never far from her post with her father right by her side. They never got along with each other but somehow they worked it out. "I can't believe you ruined my date last night," Alec complained to Max.

"I'm really sorry," she said sarcastically. "I think I did you a favor. This way you have no chance of making another woman pregnant."

"Yeah, cause we all know what happened the last time he did," Rachel interjected.

Her mother looked embarrassed for her outburst. She knew it wasn't personal and that her mother loved her but it had caused her parents to fight many times over the years. "I'm sorry sweetie," Max apologized.

"Now is not the time to apologize. You should save it for when you tell me the truth about Logan and you."

Her mother looked to Alec for help. "I guess it's time you told her the whole truth."

"You're a big help," Max smacked him in the arm.

"How about you take this in the office. It seems we have an audience," Alec motioned for them to look at the others who were openly gawking at their family.

Max took her arm and led her into her office. "I never lied to you Rachel. I just left out the part that involved Logan."

"Tell me," Rachel ordered.

"I've been in love with Logan since I met him. At first I was just helping him with his Eye's Only projects in exchange for information on my brothers and sisters who had escaped Manticore with me."

"So what happened?"

Max walked around her desk and sank into her seat. For once she looked all of her forty years. "I fell in love but was taken back to Manticore. Your father helped me escape but was just helping me so that I would go back to Logan and pass a virus they had injected into me to him. It was structured to just kill Logan and I could pass it to him by a touch."

"I've seen you touch him before.'

"I took the antidote years ago."

"Then why didn't you go back to Logan?"

"I was pregnant with you. Rachel, I was so lonely at the time. When your dad showed up that night I was in heat and drunk. I didn't know what I was doing."

Rachel turned and looked through the window towards her dad. She had always been closer to him than to her mother. Alec was watching them too. Obviously he was making sure that things didn't get heated between them. "Logan wouldn't take you back after he found out you were pregnant?"

"He would have but Asha was already expecting Wyatt."

Rachel felt defeated. Deep down she had wanted her parents to fall in love but now that she had heard the whole story she could kiss that dream goodbye. "Is that why you discouraged me from being with Wyatt?"

"No. It's because I know what it is like to be in love with someone who isn't like us. If we had to leave it would break your heart."

"That doesn't matter because I'm leaving anyways."

"What do you mean you're leaving? Where are you going?"

"I want out of Terminal City."

"You can't leave," her mother slammed her fist on the desk.

"I'm going somewhere that I'm just another face in the crowd. Not a transgenic but just me."

'Don't do this."

"It's already done," Rachel walked out of the office leaving her mother behind. She wasn't sure why it bothered her but knowing that her mother had feelings for Wyatt's dad was driving her crazy. It was time she left Seattle behind. She wasn't a small kid anymore and she knew there were no happy endings for transgenics. Wyatt could be her bedmate forever but there would be no marriage or kids.

Max was just one in a thousand of tragic stories. Her love affair with Logan proved that things wouldn't work out between Wyatt and her. Why should she stay behind and wait for the heartache when she could run from it?

"Running, you get from your mom," Alec grabbed her arm stopping her progress.

"I want out of this cage."

"You think you're in a cage? Look around you Rachel." Two of the so-called anomalies walked past them. "They are in a cage. You and me get to walk out of here anytime we want and can blend in with no problem. If you want to leave then go but know why you are really leaving."

"And why is that?"

"Because you are afraid of how you feel about Wyatt."

Rachel rolled her eyes and pulled her arm out of her father's grasp. "I'm afraid of him getting hurt because of who I am. It's dangerous for him to be here or to love me."

"Is he here?"

Rachel blushed," Of course not."

"That's my girl," he gave her a hug.

Ten minutes later she was back at her apartment, overwhelmed by the silence. Wyatt had left a note for her to call him but she knew she wasn't going to. It would take her only a few minutes to pack and head out on the open road. She didn't have a plan but was thinking she would drive until she ran out of one tank of gas.

It was time that she got to live a real life. With most people thinking that all the transgenics were safely behind the gates in Terminal City she wasn't worried of being discovered. It also helped that her barcode wasn't the normal black which made most people assume that it was just a tattoo.

Her life was about to change and she could be normal for a while but all she could think about was how Wyatt was going to feel when he realized she had left him without saying goodbye.


	2. Chapter 2

**Six Years Later**

Rachel lay on the couch with her head propped up on her husband's lap. She was ecstatic to have time alone with him. Jack was a doctor who spent more time at the hospital than he did with his family. It wasn't really his fault since the hospital was understaffed but she couldn't help but feel neglected.

The house was quiet with the only sounds coming from the fire that was blazing in the corner. She needed this. One night to feel like a grown up not like the big kid she acted like when she was at work. This half human slash killing machine had found a job at a local day care center. She smiled to herself knowing how funny her dad would find the situation. She could kill a man with her pinky finger but none of the skills her parents had taught her meant anything when it came to babysitting.

"I took some time off of work," her husband brushed back the hair that was in her face.

"Really? What will we do with ourselves," she asked while giving him the best come hither look she could muster.

Jack leaned down and put his lips on hers teasing her lips with his tongue until she gave him access to her mouth. She wasn't sure why but Wyatt's face popped into her head at that moment and she broke apart from Jack. "I was thinking that we should go to Seattle and see your parents."

Rachel groaned no wanting to go through this argument again. It wasn't that he didn't know that they were transgenics because she had told him the truth when he had asked her to marry him. But she wasn't up to facing her past just yet. "I don't think that's a good idea," she sat up putting some distance between them.

"They haven't met me, Rachel. They don't even know that you are married. Not to mention another surprise."

Above the mantle was a picture of the two of them from their wedding. The ceremony had been small and intimate with only a few of their friends attending. It was one of the most perfect days she had ever had. The only thing missing had been her parent's presence. "It's just not the right time."

"When is the right time?"

"Mommy," she heard the scream coming from the back room.

They both jumped up from the couch running towards their son's room. Rachel flipped on all the lights as she went turning the house as bright as she could. When she opened the door her son was standing beside the bed hugging his blanket to him. Jack swept him up in his arms trying to soothe him. "What happened buddy?"

"There was a man outside my window," he got out between his sobs.

Rachel went on high alert trying to listen to any sounds on the roof. She put a finger to her lips warning her boy's to be quiet as she advanced towards the window to peer out. On the street below stood a man watching her. "There is someone out there. I want you to stay here and if I don't come back in ten minutes call the cops."

"Be careful," he gave her a quick kiss as she left.

Beside the front door was an umbrella holder; which housed one of the many guns she had strategically placed throughout their home. She grabbed for it and the bullets that were on the bottom. She had a son to take care of and none of the guns were already loaded.

Opening the door she saw the man that she had seen from the window. His clothes were dark and the light from the road sent a shadow over his face. "I hope I didn't scare Braden too much," he let out a sinister chuckle at his joke.

"Stay away from my son," she spat at him. The rage in her told her to shoot first, ask questions later but maybe he was the key to all the strange things that had been happening to her lately.

"Don't worry it's not him I'm after."

"What do you want?"

The man started backing up as a car pulled up next to him. "You will find out soon enough. By the way my boss asked me to give you this."

He tossed a package in the air before getting in the car and drove away.

"Rachel, are you okay. I saw the whole thing from the window." The boys ran out to her and she grabbed Braden pulling him into a hug.

"Braden, baby," she cooed into his hair. She wasn't sure she could let go. Her son's life had never been put in danger and it scared her more than she would care to admit. For once she felt sympathy for what her parents must have gone through with her. "Are you okay," she asked setting him back on his feet.

"I'm okay but I don't want to sleep in my room tonight."

"That's fine buddy. You can stay with us," Jack took Braden's hand and led him back in the house.

Rachel stayed behind for a second trying to catch her breath that she hadn't realized she was holding. What was going on? Her life in Kieran Falls had been quiet. Why would anyone want to hurt her family?

Her bedroom was brightly lit when she entered. Braden was on their bed watching a movie Jack must have put on for him. "What is going on," Jack whispered to her.

"I don't know. He said he wasn't planning on hurting Braden but I'm not so sure. He left this behind."

Rachel opened the envelope that held a folded up piece of paper.

_This is payback._

_ Ray_

"Who is Ray," Jack took the piece of paper out of her hands.

"Whoever he is I'm going to take care of him."

"Hon, I think it's time you went to your mother for help. We've found the house broken into and you have found countless of these letters over the last two months. We need help."

So Jack had finally won the argument about going to see her mother. Unlike before she was happy to surrender. Getting letters was one thing, having her son's life in danger was another thing all together. "I'll leave tomorrow."

"Shouldn't we all go?"

"He seems to be following me. Hopefully I can lead him back to Seattle where we can take care of him."

Rachel glanced over at the bed where Braden had already fallen back asleep. He was an angel and the best thing that ever happened to her. "I'm going to leave the address for where I'm going to be. If anything happens you come find me."

Late the next day Rachel pulled her bike to the side of the road to take in the Seattle skyline. The place hadn't changed a bit. The focal point was the space needle which her mother use to frequent when she was a child. The sky opened up at that moment and started pouring on her.

She headed back on the road glancing over her shoulder always expecting someone to be there. The feeling of being watched hadn't left her since she started out in the morning. Whoever this guy was, he was becoming a pain in her butt. For six years she had avoided Terminal City. Now she was being forced back to the cage she had lived in for eighteen years.

Rachel felt the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. Someone was watching her and she didn't like. She turned her head and saw a car moving up beside her. Great, she thought to herself. There was going to be a fight a little sooner than she expected.

The car pulled up on her right side and she was about to make a smart aleck comment when she saw the gun. Rachel was thrown off the bike by the bullets that sliced through her body. The pain was instantaneous and she scrambled to get back on her bike so that they couldn't turn around and finish her off. Blood was flowing out of the wound in her side so she tore off her jacket and pressed it against her middle. These guys were asking for it but her only thought at the moment was getting out of there alive.

The white sedan took off at top speed heading back in her direction. She could smell the burnt rubber off the road and her nose crinkled in disgust. Pulling the gun she had tucked in the waist of her pants she shot one of their tires out and the car swerved and rolled over.

Rachel crumpled to the ground feeling light headed. There were two bullets that had gotten her and from the flow of blood coming out she had little time before she lost consciousness. The sticky liquid flowed through her hands and pooled on the road and looking around she found nothing to cauterize her wound with. The Seattle skyline blurred in her sight appearing as a vision. She needed to get help quickly. Where was the closes safe haven?

Wyatt watched Jenny pull away before heading towards his apartment. Their date hadn't gone as well as expected since he had found out that Jenny was in a hurry to get married. How could he explain to his girlfriend of three years that he was never planning on getting married? He had planned on getting married once in his life and that hadn't gone so well. She had turned up missing the week he had planned on asking her. Another problem was his work as Eye's Only. Mobsters and all kinds of loons had targeted him more than once since he took over the family "business."

His dad still worked with him on the projects but his mother had finally gotten him to hand the reins over to Wyatt. At first it had been a welcome distraction but it soon become monotonous. Once you trapped one bad guy it was the same as the others.

Against his better judgment he had gotten help from Max who seemed to put a strain on his parent's relationship. During one nasty fight his mother had explained to him that Max had been the love of his father's life. He hadn't been surprised by the news though. He had seen the look his father had given to Max was the same way he had looked at her daughter, Rachel.

Wyatt said a curse under his breath to the vixen that had stolen his heart and taken it away with her. He didn't understand why after all this time her face was still the last thing he thought about before going to bed at night. She had used him and discarded him. Not once had she told him that she loved him but he had bared his soul for her. How she must have laughed every time that he did!

Wyatt stepped out of the elevator and almost slipped as he opened the door. The floor was covered in a trail of blood. He drew his gun that had now become another appendage raising it in front of him. He walked through the house following the trail that led to his bathroom.

He kicked the door in and stared at the sight before him. Rachel was laying down in the fetal position with a blood puddle around her. "Rachel," he called out to her dropping at her side and pulling her in his arms.

"I couldn't get it to stop," she gestured to her side.

Pulling the fabric away he saw the bullet holes in her side. "What happened?"

"Ray," she whispered.

Her body went limp in his arms and he started to panic. What had she gotten herself into? Wyatt stood to his feet pulling her along with him. He needed to get her to a hospital.

He never thought he would see the day that he had to worry about Rachel. She was the daughter of two strong transgenics who had taught her everything they knew. He also remembered the cocky way she would throw her head back and laugh when he warned her to be careful. Most of their younger years she had been a female version of Alec and truth be told he loved that about her. "Rachel," he shook her trying to get her to open her eyes. "I need you to stay with me, baby."

Wyatt removed the drenched jacket she had pressed to her side and felt overwhelmed. What could he do for her? He ran from the room opening his drawers and pulled out a pile of shirts to press against her side as he called the ambulance to his apartment. Even on their best days the ambulance would take ten minutes to get there. By the looks of her she wasn't going to last much longer.

Her breathing was coming in rapid wisps and he was worrying that her lungs had filled with blood causing her to not be able to breath. His heart was racing feeling every moment that passed had taken years off his life. He loved this woman and was worried that her life was leaving her small frame and pooling in his hands. "You're going to be fine," he said to her trying to calm his own nerves as much as hers. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you."

Five minutes later he heard a pounding at his door and felt a small amount of relief flood him. Her life was now going to be in the paramedics hands.

_Thanks for reading. I would appreciate any comments!_


	3. Chapter 3

Wyatt sank to the hospital floor cradling his head in his hands. Her blood was everywhere. It was on his hands and his clothes and when he got home it would be all over his apartment. Could someone survive after losing that much blood?

The hospital was buzzing with activity in the E.R. Nurses raced past him calling out orders and people were huddled together waiting for news on their own family. No one seemed to notice him. He wondered for a second whether he had become invisible to the world or maybe it was him who had really been shot and his body is laying in one of these operating rooms being cut open.

Wyatt felt panic building inside him and grabbed his inhaler taking a deep breath on it. He felt like suck a weakling. Rachel was in one of these rooms barely holding on to life and he has a panic attack just waiting for some news. He wanted to be with her. She had looked so helpless on the gurney they had laid her on in the ambulance. Her face had been devoid of color and he thought she wouldn't make it through the trip to the hospital.

"Wyatt," he looked up to see Max running towards him. She fell down on her knees beside him. "Are you okay?"

"I couldn't stop the bleeding. I tried my hardest to get it to stop but I couldn't stop the bleeding," he mumbled staring at his hands.

"Sweetie, I need you to look at me," she moved his chin with her hand. "What happened?"

"I don't know she was just lying there." He felt his body start to tremble.

"Get away from my son Max," Asha called out.

Max removed her hand from his face as if she had been burned. "I was just trying…"

"I know what you were trying."

"Stop it. This isn't about you. It's about Rachel," Logan scolded his wife. He couldn't believe that after all this time she felt insecure about her relationship with her son.

"There was blood everywhere and I just couldn't stop it," Wyatt muttered.

"What's wrong with him," Asha asked.

"He's in shock," Alec answered stepping up beside Max.

"I need to know what happened to my daughter and the only person who can tell me is in hysterics."

"She said the name Ray," Wyatt looked up at her. "I don't know what that mean."

Max wasn't sure why the name was familiar to her but whoever it is, he wasn't playing around. "What if she doesn't make it? It would be my fault. I'm the reason she left in the first place."

Alec grabbed Max and pulled her into his arms. "Our daughter is going to be fine. She's strong like her mother and pigheaded like her dad. She's not going anywhere." Dr. Carr walked up to the group with a smile on his face and Alec's heartbeat started to slow down. He had sounded confident to Max but upon seeing Wyatt's shirt that was drenched in his daughter's blood, he had his doubts.

"We've got her stabilized," Dr. Carr started and everyone blew out a sigh of relief. "She took two bullets, one to the side, and the other to the chest. The bullet that hit her chest cracked her rib and it began bruising; which is why she was having a hard time breathing. Rachel's all stitched up and resting."

"Can I see her," Max asked leaning into Alec.

"I think one at a time would be best. She needs rest right now."

"Thanks, Sam," Logan shook the doctor's hand.

'She's asking to see Wyatt," Dr. Carr told them before heading off to look after his other patients.

Wyatt looked up at her parents," You go. She'll want to see you."

Max turned to Alec who shook his head telling her to let Wyatt in first. "She's asking for you. I could use a few minutes alone before I go in there anyways."

Wyatt stood up looking down the hallway towards her room.

"Go on. We'll be here when you get back," Logan squeezed his son's shoulders before nudging him in the right direction.

"I think I'm going to get some air," Max walked away feeling tears falling down her face.

"Asha, I need to make a phone call. I'll be right back," Logan headed off in the same direction as Max.

Wyatt stepped into the room they had Rachel in and was blown away by all the machines they had her hooked up to. The machines were beeping and flashing numbers that told the doctors that she was going to be all right but looking at her Wyatt wasn't so convinced.

"Hey stranger," she said barely above a whisper. Her eyes fluttered open and her face lit up with a smile. "I sure know how to make dramatic entrances, don't I?"

"Next time a hello would suffice," he made her laugh but was cut off by her sharp intake of breath.

'It hurts to laugh."

"That's what you get for playing with bullets."

"I wasn't trying to play with them," her face became overcast.

"What is going on, Rach?"

Rachel's heart skipped a beat when he called her by her nickname. When they were growing up she had loved when he called her Rach. It made her feel special. "I wish I knew. I came back to ask my mom to help me get rid of this guy."

"Ray?"

"Yeah, but I don't know anything else about him. He just keeps leaving me letters that says he wants payback."

"Payback for what?"

"I wish I knew then maybe I can get this nightmare over with."

Wyatt noticed the tired look on her face and leaned over to place a gentle kiss on her forehead. "I'll let you get some sleep," Wyatt reached down and grabbed her hand and felt his heart start pounding as hard as it did when he found her in his bathroom. He turned to her hand and noticed the rings he had missed earlier.

"Wyatt, I can explain," she tried sitting up.

"You don't need to explain anything. You're married, congratulations." He backed away from the bed and bumped up against the door.

"Wyatt, please…"

He turned the knob and got out of there as fast as he could. She was married. The love of his life had left without a goodbye and moved on as if they had never loved each other at all. What a fool he was! He had spent years alone wanting to be faithful to her while she was happily married. Wyatt pulled his inhaler out of his pocket and took another puff. It was finally over.

Max saw her breath leave her body and drift away like a cloud. It was starting to get cold outside but she wasn't ready to face Rachel. Her daughter had been shot and she hadn't been able to protect her. If she had just kept her feelings for Logan locked away, Rachel wouldn't be in this mess. Instead she would have been safely living in Terminal City.

Whether or not this had happened doesn't excuse her behavior anyways. Logan was a married man; which made him off limits. She had tried moving on but no matter what she did she hadn't been able to suppress her need to be held in his arms. He was a good man and Asha deserved all the love he could give her.

"Are you okay," Logan closed the door behind him that led to the roof.

"I'm fine. How is Wyatt?"

"He'll be okay. I just keep thinking of that night. That terrible night where I held you after you had been shot. I know exactly what he is going through right now."

Max had very little recollection of anything from that night but she did remember the look on his face as he held her. That look was the same one his son had a few minutes ago. "He loves her."

"Yup, are you surprised by that? He's wanted to take care of her since they were five."

"Before he knew that she could do more damage then he could." She turned away from him, guilt piercing her heart. "Did we mess up our children's lives?"

"What do you mean?"

"I don't love Alec. I should be in love with the father of my child. What kind of monster am I?" Logan tried to put his hand on her shoulder but she shrugged it off. "And you. Don't tell me Asha is the one when you still look at me the way you are now."

"I have never cheated on her and right now I'm out here as a friend. You can be sure that Wyatt has always been my first priority because if he wasn't I wouldn't be out here just talking to you. I would be holding you and telling you that we could get through this together."

Max felt fresh tears fall from her eyes. How good did his last statement sound? She would love to spend one more night in those arms but it wasn't going to happen. "I didn't mean to imply that you aren't a good father to Wyatt."

His features softened," I know and that's why I'm going to stay with you till you're ready to go in."

"I was thinking about the name Ray before you came up here," she tried to change the subject. "It sounds familiar but then Ray is a popular name."

"One of the last missions I sent her on for Eye's Only was after a man named Ray Valenti. It could be him. He was a big arms dealer until Rachel provided information worth filing a search warrant. Ray couldn't get his thugs out of town fast enough."

"Why wouldn't he just take her out then," she asked.

"Maybe they didn't get a good enough shot."

Max felt a chill go through her body at the thought of finding her little girl dead on the side of the road. "Trained killers? No, there is a reason she is in the hospital bed and not a casket. We just have to find out what it is."

Logan turned to leave and she took his hand in hers," No matter what Rachel thinks I was okay with her being with Wyatt."

"Me too. I'm just afraid that they are going to make the same mistakes we did."

Two days later Rachel had been released into her parents care and they all headed back to Terminal City to find out what they could about Ray. The only person missing was Wyatt. He hadn't been back to the hospital to see her once he had found out that she was married. She felt guilty about the way he had found out but she couldn't let it bother her for too long. Rachel had come back to Seattle to find out what this guy wants and keep him away from her family.

Inside she had been overjoyed to see Wyatt again. He had been her best friend and the one person she could turn to when she was in trouble. When they were sixteen he had taken her to a secluded spot outside of town and they had watched the sun go down until all the lights in the city looked like tiny stars. It was the first time he had kissed her and if she just closed her eyes, she could taste his skin and feel his warm hands on her back as if it were yesterday.

They had tried to keep their relationship a secret for a while since her mom had warned her about the dangers of being with an ordinary but her dad had eventually caught them in a rather heated make out session. She had been scolded and told that she needed to break it off with Wyatt but she couldn't. She could never explain to her mother the connection she had with him or the love. He was special.

"We checked these papers for prints but all we could find were yours," her dad cut into her thoughts.

"How am I supposed to take this guy down if we don't know what he wants or why he is targeting me?"

"It's just going to take time," her mother said.

"I don't have time I have a so…" she stopped herself before telling her parents that she was married and they had a grandson. After seeing Wyatt's reaction to the news she had taken off her rings. She wasn't planning on hiding it but she didn't want to throw the news at them either. "Now what do I do?"

"Logan and Wyatt are working on it. Your job is to get better."

Rachel was taken aback to hear that Wyatt was doing anything for her. "Wyatt's helping?"

"He's been working nonstop. Logan has had to pry him out of his chair a few times already."

She could see Wyatt in front of his computer screen with his eyes all bloodshot like they used to be. There were times when she would stop over at his apartment and he was slouched over his keyboard fast asleep. He had always been dedicated to whatever job his father had let him tackle.

"Max, I think you should see this," Mole called out to her. Max moved to where they were all standing beside the monitors and saw two people entering the city gates. "What should I do with them?"

"They look harmless. That little boy can't be older than seven."

Rachel hobbled over to the monitors and leaned on her dad for support. "Wait, that's my family."

"Mole, bring them in here," Max stared at Rachel as if this were the first time she really looked at her. "Why didn't you tell me you had a family?"

"I was never planning on coming back," Rachel felt pain in her side that had nothing to do with bullet holes.

"Mommy," Braden called out to her as soon as he saw her.

"Braden, baby. I missed you." Braden ran at her full force and she picked him up clutching him to her side. She felt the pain from the bullets but right then the pain didn't matter. They had made it to Seattle alive.

"I'm so glad you're okay," Jack gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Alive but not unscathed," Rachel lifted her shirt so that Jack could see her wound but Braden couldn't. She didn't want to scare her son. If she could help it, he would never know of this ordeal.

"You should be resting and what do they have you on," her husband turned into the doctor.

"Hi, Jack. I'm Alec, target practice's father."

Jack chuckled shaking her father's hand. "It's nice to meet you sir. Where's the other half of the equation?"

They all looked around but Max had disappeared.


	4. Chapter 4

Rachel spotted her mom right away sitting near the edge of the space needle. She had never been a big fan of heights but tonight she had a reason why she needed to be there. The last six years she had kept a lot of secrets from her parents and the fact that she had a family of her own had hurt her mother's feelings.

"You can just turn around and head home," Max called out to her without even turning around.

'I wanted to talk to you. To explain why I didn't tell you about Jack and Braden."

"When you were little I had a huge responsibility to every transgenic in and out of Terminal City. So if I neglected you or made you feel like you weren't important to me, I am sorry."

Rachel sat down beside her mother and placed her head on her shoulder. "I always knew I was important."

"Then why do you hate me?"

The sky was darkening in the background and the stars were making their nightly appearance. Sitting on the top of the space needle everything seemed smaller but her problems weren't smaller. "I don't hate you. I hated me."

Max turned to her daughter wondering how her family had come to this. "I don't understand."

"All I wanted was to be with Wyatt. I would have given anything to be his but I was a transgenic. You would tell me that being with him would put his life in danger and that I couldn't become attached to him just in case we had to leave. That caused me to start hating myself and I did it really well. I pushed him away and when I found out about Logan and you, I used that as an excuse to run."

"You know we put the Cale men through torture."

Rachel laughed at how true that statement was. "I'm surprised that they both don't run in the opposite direction when they see us coming."

"Wyatt might start after he sees that you have a kid."

Rachel sighed. Telling Wyatt that not only was she married but she had a child with this man would not be easy. She figured that any chance of them being friends was gone once he was informed. "Maybe he won't have to find out. I'm only staying as long as it takes to get this guy."

"It could take awhile. This guy hasn't given us much to go on."

"We need to do something because he went after my son. That's why Jack convinced me to come ask you for help."

"You're son is going to be fine, he's safely hidden in Terminal City. No one can sneak on the property without us knowing."

Wyatt poured himself his fifth cup of coffee of the morning. His eyes were fighting to stay open but all he could think about was helping Rachel find Ray. The faster he found out who he was, the faster she would be going home and away from him. He had cursed her for years but then when he found her on the floor of his bathroom he realized that he still loved her.

Taking a swig of his drink, Wyatt tried to forget about when she had left. The feelings he had for her ran deep and as much as he would like to deny them, they were always there. That day in July his world had stopped moving.

Wyatt turned to go back to his office when, he was startled by Rachel who was leaning against the door. "Still haven't learned to knock?"

"And miss the surprised look on your face? I don't think so."

He walked past her into the back room where he had set up all his computers and files for Eye's Only. The room was dark, like his mood. There was no reason for her to be there. Any information he could dig up would be sent to Max and his father. "What if I had been undressed?"

"Well, lucky for me you weren't and it's not something I haven't seen before."

Wyatt rolled his eyes. He didn't want to be reminded of the old days but unfortunately a mental picture of her lying in his bed flashed through his mind. The first time he had made love to her, they had been seventeen and she had fallen asleep in his bed looking more vulnerable than she actually was. He had felt an overwhelming need to take care of her and love her. If she had given him a chance he would have done it for the rest of his life. "Is there something I can help you with," he growled at her.

"I thought we should talk but maybe that wasn't a good idea," she moved to leave.

"I'm sorry," he sighed. "What do you want to talk about?"

"I wanted to thank you for saving my life."

"Not a problem." His computer screen turned on and he started downloading his father's old files onto his Mac. Wyatt wanted nothing more than to keep his hands busy because if he didn't he might grab her and walk her down the hall to his bedroom. "Why did you come to me? Why? Out of all the people you could have gone to in Seattle, why did it have to be me?"

"My blood was pouring out of me and I was dizzy and lightheaded. The only address I could remember at the moment was yours."

"I'm glad you're okay but I think it would be best if you kept your distance while you're here." A box popped up on his screen saying the download was complete. "You hurt me, Rach."

She turned away from him looking at the photos on the wall. Some of them she remembered seeing before but there were a few new ones also. "We both knew there was a chance I would have to leave."

"You didn't have to. You left because you wanted to and you ran to Jack. My dad also told me that you have a son."

When she didn't respond, Wyatt went back to reading through the Valenti case. It seemed as if they had been smuggling guns illegally through the Canadian American border for years. When someone had finally turned them in they had moved to another location where his father had sent Rachel after them. "Rach, look at this." She positioned herself above his shoulder and leaned over towards the screen. "My dad made a note that they all used the same style of gun."

"Does that matter," she asked.

"It could help. The gun they used was a rare one and was their calling card or signature."

"Did we save the bullets that Dr. Carr took out of me? We could match the bullets to the weapon."

"My dad took care of it. Maybe them shooting at you wasn't such a bad thing."

"Speak for yourself my side is killing me. What if this isn't the guy?"

For this first time in his life he saw fear written on her face. "I got all the files on the jobs my dad sent you on. If there is any connection I'll look into it."

Rachel swayed on her feet and Wyatt shot out of his seat to catch her. Her body was pressed against his and he felt an instant response from his body. Wyatt moaned deep in his throat and his pulse quickened. "Are you okay," he asked her.

"Just a little dizzy."

"Have you eaten anything lately?"

Rachel couldn't remember eating since the day she had spent in the hospital. There had been so much to do that she hadn't even realized how hungry she was. "I haven't had time to eat."

"Can I make you something? I was lucky to inherit my father's culinary skills."

"I remember. When you cooked for me it was the only time I got a decent meal."

Wyatt swept her up in his arms and carried her to the kitchen where he set her down on the counter. He opened the fridge door and searched the shelves for something to make her. "Do you want an omelet?"

"Sounds good." Unlike when she had first shown up he was acting more like the Wyatt she remembered. Before today he had never treated her with disdain but she knew she deserved it. She had left without even saying goodbye. What he didn't know was that she hadn't said goodbye because she wouldn't have been able to leave if he had asked her to stay. "Do you remember the food fight we had in your dad's kitchen?"

Wyatt looked over his shoulder at her," I thought he was going to kill me. That chocolate batter took us forever to get off the cabinets."

"You started it."

"As I recall if was you who smeared some of it on my face. I was just retaliating." Wyatt smiled remembering how cute she looked with the chocolate heart he had painted on her chest. "I think that is when my dad realized I was in love with you."

The smile faded from her face," we never did hide our feelings very well." A chill went through her body when she thought of him licking the chocolate heart he had put on her.

"I didn't want to hide them. I just wanted to be with you." Wyatt flipped half the eggs over and pressed it down with his spatula. "Did you ever love me like that?"

"Of course I did. I just didn't know how to show it. Your parents were married. My mom has lived like a hermit her entire life and my dad runs after anything that has two legs and is the opposite sex."

Wyatt cut the omelet in two and put the halves on plates. "It's ready."

Logan walked into Terminal City HQ as he had done a million times over the years. He knew Asha was never thrilled about him seeing Max but nothing was going on. One thing he wasn't going to do was cheat on his wife. When he had said his vows he had meant every word. But that didn't stop him from wanting Max.

If it wasn't for Wyatt he was sure he would have taken Max back. It didn't even bother him that she had been pregnant with Alec's baby. It was a mistake but unfortunately he had made the same mistake with Asha and since he always did the right thing, he married her. She wasn't a bad wife and he did enjoy her company but she wasn't Max.

"Got any good news," Max asked appearing from around the corner.

"Not exactly. I haven't really found anything yet. The only good news is that we're narrowing down the possibilities."

"That's not good enough. We have to find this guy."

"We will but there is a lot of files to go through. I dabbled in a lot of cases while she worked with me and we can't be sure that this Ray isn't a friend or family member and not the main person we were targeting. Wyatt's bringing in the few files we found that are of interest."

Wyatt picked up the box of paperwork he had printed out that morning and noticed a boy watching him. The kid had brown hair and green eyes that looked a lot like Rachel's. "What's your name," he asked trying not to scare him off.

"Braden. But my mommy told me never to talk to strangers."

"Is your mom's name Rachel?" The boy nodded. "Well, my name's Wyatt and I am an old friend of your mom's."

"She told me I could talk to you. There are only a few people I can talk to in Termiminal City," he struggled to get the word out. "Unless my parents are there."

"Where are your parents?"

"My dad is sleeping and I went to go find my mommy but I don't know where she went."

Wyatt looked up and down the deserted street feeling uneasy that he was out there alone. Max may be under the impression that Terminal City was impenetrable but he wasn't so certain. "Hey Braden, why don't we go find your grandma."

The little boy nodded enthusiastically and took Wyatt's empty hand. His hand was small compared to Wyatt's and it made him realize how much he wanted a family of his own. Maybe it was time he asked Jenny to marry him. "Look who I found outside," Wyatt handed Braden off to Max.

"Were you outside alone," Max asked Braden.

"No. There was this man outside the gate who said he could show me where my mommy was then Logan and Wyatt showed up."

Max scrambled over to the monitors and saw a guy standing outside the north gate. "Is that him?"

"Yup," he answered.

The stranger looked in the camera and produced an envelope from his jacket. He raised it above his head showing it off and laid it gently on the ground before getting in a car and driving off. "What was that all about," Max turned to Alec.

"I don't know. You stay here while I go check it out."

"Did he say anything else to you," Max crouched down to be eye level with her grandson.

"I forget."

"You can't be walking around alone sweetie. Next time you wait for your daddy, okay?"

"Okay."

Max pulled him into her arms relieved that nothing had happened to him. Whoever was after her daughter could easily take Braden as ransom. Braden had grown up in a different environment than her daughter. He wasn't aware of the danger he had been in. She would have to talk to Rachel about training her son to take care of himself. Max hadn't been real happy about teaching Rachel that there were people after her at such a young age but she had to. It was about survival.

"It's addressed to you," Alec strolled back in handing her the envelope.

_Thanks for reading! If you would like to read more soon, I would appreciate a few comments. We all spend a lot of time and energy writing these stories so we should make comments when we read a story we like. If this is you, and you like this story, please take a second to leave a comment._


	5. Chapter 5

Rachel paced back and forth squeezing her son to her side. "Mommy I can't breathe," he complained.

"Sorry," she let him down where he promptly ran over to Alec. Her boy had grown attached to her father in the short few days he had been there. Braden would follow him around like a little puppy and even bump into his legs if Alec stopped too fast. "I don't understand why you're getting notes now. What are we going to do?"

"Actually, the fact that Max is now receiving his notes is a good thing. It changes our whole strategy and gives us more to go on," Logan interjected.

"The note addressed her as 452. That means that whoever Ray is, he knows about Max's past. We can narrow the search down to cases dealing with Manticore or the breeding cult," Wyatt smiled. "We're going to get this guy."

Rachel looked at her family. They would do anything to keep her safe and she would trust her life in their hands but it wasn't just her anymore. Tucked behind her father's leg was the most important person in her life. That bright-faced little boy had her wrapped around his finger. "Where do we start?"

"I will run a search through all my files with the keywords, Manticore and breeding cult and we will take it from there," Logan picked up a disk and handed it to Max.

'What can we do," Rachel directed her question to Logan.

Logan looked over at Wyatt," There are some old files I brought to Wyatt's house the other day. You could help him look through them."

Rachel sighed, wondering how she got herself into this mess. "I could go over later. I need to check on Jack and make Braden some breakfast."

"I'm hungry, mommy," Braden ran to her side and latched himself onto her leg. A sharp twitch pierced her side and she grabbed it.

"Braden," Wyatt tried to get his attention. "How about you come over to my house and I can make you some sunshine pancakes?"

"What's that," he asked.

"Well, I take a pancake and then with some fruit I make it look like the sun. But what makes it really good is when I put chocolate in the pancakes." Braden's eyes got as big as saucers causing the group to laugh. "My dad used to make them for your mom and me when we were your age."

Braden turned back to Rachel, putting on his best puppy dog eyes. "Can we, mommy? PLLEAASSEE?"

Wyatt mimicked her son," PPPLLLEEEAASSEE?"

Rachel looked to her mother for support," I think you've already lost this argument."

"Fine," she conceded. "Let me run by the apartment and check on Jack and I can pick up some toys for Braden."

'I'll meet you at the car," Wyatt and Rachel walked out of HQ.

"Now is not the time to be playing matchmaker," Alec scowled at Logan. "Her husband and son are here. I don't want you messing with things that are better left in the past."

"Wyatt needs closure and I'm hoping by putting them together that they will talk through it."

"This isn't all about your son," Alec stepped closer to Logan.

"Never is. It's always about transgenic's verses regular people. That's the reason they aren't his family, isn't it?"

The men stood nose-to-nose yelling at the top of their lungs when Max pushed them apart. "Guys, calm down. Logan, we did push your son away but it was for his protection. White was after us, we had riots out here everyday, it wasn't safe." Logan backed off first knowing that what she said was true. "Anyways, it's not up to us what happens with our kids. They are adults now. If they want to talk they will."

"You're son has always been like a second child to us," Alec glanced over to Max. "We always wanted what was best for our daughter and that was Wyatt. But then I also thought about what you two have gone through and I didn't want that for her."

"It's like looking in a mirror. They have taken on every obstacle we have,' Max said.

"Complete with tragic ending," Logan walked away leaving Alec to console Max.

Rachel laid next to Braden feeling his breath tickle her skin. He had fallen asleep on Wyatt's floor while the pair had been looking through the files his father had left. It was late but all she wanted to do was figure out who Ray was and get back to her normal suburban life.

Braden was curled up in a ball on the floor with his head laying on one of the stuffed animals she had brought with them. It didn't look comfortable but she had found out quick that kids could fall asleep anywhere. She moved her hand and placed it on his shoulder, rubbing his arm.

Rachel closed her eyes and felt herself drifting off when she felt a blanket being put on top of her. "I should get him home," she opened her eyes and found Wyatt laying down on Braden's other side.

"Why don't you stay here tonight? I have plenty of room."

"I don't think that is a good idea. Jack may be wondering where we are."

"Then call him. It's not safe out at night."

Rachel smirked," I think I can handle myself."

"What about Braden?"

Her smile faltered. She would never put her son's life in danger. He had used the one excuse she couldn't argue with. "I'll stay. Where should I put him or should I leave him here?"

"I'll put him in the spare bedroom," Wyatt went to grab Braden but she pushed his hand away.

"I got him," Rachel barely finished her sentence before Wyatt had Braden in his arms.

"You look tired let me handle it. By the way have I told you how beautiful you are?" Wyatt walked out of the room making his way down the shadowed hallway to his spare bedroom. The place wasn't really decorated. He had no reason for a spare bedroom when no one came to visit. The walls were a pale green, which he was told was a good neutral color for when he wanted to sell the place. The bedspread was a darker shade of green with gold trim, his mother had picked out. Overall, the room was just another empty space in his life.

Wyatt bent over the bed and laid Braden down as gently as he could and stepped back to admire the child. He was a handsome kid who seemed to favor his mother in looks. Wyatt wasn't sure what he got from his father since he hadn't met the mystery man yet. He found it odd that in the four days they had been in Seattle he hadn't run into Jack once. Since his family was in danger shouldn't he be hovering over them being overprotective. But then again, Rachel could handle herself.

"He's adorable when he is asleep," Rachel whispered from the doorway. "I used to sit by his bed and watch him sleep for hours. He's just peaceful."

"What about Jack? Are they close?"

Rachel walked over to the bed and dropped a kiss on Braden's cheek. The two left the room leaving the door open a crack. "I sometimes feel sorry for Jack he works so many hours at the hospital that he has missed major chunks of Braden's life. He barely made it in time to see me give birth. But, yes, I would say they are close."

Wyatt sat in his rocking chair ready to relax for a few minutes. They still had work to do but he wanted time alone with Rachel. He watched her settle into his couch lying down on her back. She seemed exhausted by all that was happening. She still was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his life. By her looks alone you could see how gentle she was but very few knew how tough she was. "There are only three or four more cases to go through before we're done. Why don't you let me handle them?"

"And what, may I ask, should I be doing?"

"How about resting? Let me take care of you for once."

Rachel could think of a few ways he could take care of her but none of them involved the cases. She tried to shake the thought from her head. What was she doing? She was married and to a great man.

"Why did you come to me that night," she asked out of the blue. Rachel wasn't sure where the question had come from. She had wondered over the years why he had been standing in her living room the night she had left Terminal City but why did the answer matter now?

"I needed you and I wasn't taking no for an answer. You may have been able to pretend that you didn't have feelings for me but I couldn't."

"For a whole year I didn't speak to you except when we did an Eye's Only job for your dad."

"You were always pushing me away and then pulling me back. It was the nature of our relationship," Wyatt knelt down beside the couch.

Rachel felt her heartbeat pick up. Darn him! All he had to do was look at her and she would melt like butter. No matter how many years they had been separated, she still felt drawn to him. If she closed her eyes she could even pretend that she was eighteen again, looking forward to the rest of her life with the man she loved. But at eighteen she had allowed herself to live in a dreamland.

"While I was looking through the Valenti case I remembered doing surveillance with you a few nights before you broke in. You were in heat and we made love in the back seat of my father's car."

Rachel snickered," We were only supposed to be gone five hours and when we got home we had to tell Logan this elaborate story about how we were being followed."

"You should have seen him the next day checking the car out. He was afraid we had scratched it up."

She watched him laugh and noticed the lines at the corners of his eyes. She had never seen them. Slowly she reached out her hand and ran her fingers down his cheek and on his lips. He paused for a moment before taking one of her fingers in his mouth. He tasted her finger thoroughly doing wonderful things with his tongue. She pulled back as his lips captured hers.

Wyatt pulled her gently down to the floor with him where he placed her body on top of his. "I love you," he whispered in her ear.

Rachel was jolted back to reality by that statement and stood up trying to put distance between them. How had things gotten so out of hand? Her son was sleeping in the other room. What would have happened if he walked in on them? She would have a lot of explaining to do. "I shouldn't have done that. I'm sorry."

"Me too," she turned to see him standing at the window. "You have a beautiful family. I don't want to jeopardize that."

"I have never meant to hurt you, Wyatt. But somehow I always do. You deserve more than I can give you."

Wyatt leaned against the window feeling the cool windowpane on his back. "I think we should get back to work."

The next day Wyatt was back at Terminal City HQ where they were running out of ideas. All of his father's files had been through and even though some had stuck out, no one thought they were any closer to finding out who Ray was.

In the corner Braden was playing with his toys and every now and then he would turn to Wyatt and give him a big smile. He was a good kid. Rachel had raised him well and taught him to be cautious instead of teaching him that people would be after him his whole life. When Braden had been outside HQ alone he had handled the stranger situation well. Even though he had spoken to one of the strangers…

Wyatt got his father's attention before strolling into the other room hoping not to alarm the others. Something was off and he wasn't sure what it was.

"What's going on," Logan asked.

"Braden doesn't speak to strangers."

"I'm not following."

Wyatt thought back to all that had happened this week and the fact that a total stranger had felt safe being that close to Terminal City. "Most people start a conversation with hello. Braden said the guy who was outside of the gate could show him where his mother was, meaning that he must have asked where she was in the first place."

"You think Braden knows him?" Wyatt nodded. "Then all we need to do is ask Braden."

"I don't think it's that simple. If he knew his name he would have said it already. Before we tell the others our suspicions I want to run a search on Jack."

"Why," Logan looked at his son skeptically.

"Because in the five days they have been here I have yet to see his face. If they were my family, I wouldn't let them out of my sight. These guys had just shot my wife and before that they had tried to sneak into my son's room. Something isn't adding up." Wyatt peered through the window at Rachel. He hoped for her sake he was wrong.

"It's funny you should say that. The other day Rachel couldn't seem to find him. She said that every afternoon he goes missing."

"Let's keep this between us for now."

"I'll get right on it," Logan left leaving Wyatt to consider all that had been said. It was time to meet Rachel's husband. Now all he had to do was find him.

_Thanks for reading! I am a self admitted comment junkie hoping that someone will leave some words of wisdom or anything at all. I would really appreciate it! ;)_


	6. Chapter 6

Rachel sat beside her husband cuddling closer for warmth. Outwardly she seemed calm but inside she kept going over the kiss Wyatt had given her. Her body still tingled from the feel of his soft lips on hers and the way he had whispered that he loved her. How easy it would have been to give into the emotions that had slowly taken over since she came back to Seattle. This was dangerous territory that she had found herself in. If Wyatt hadn't told her that he loves her she may have let them have their one night together but she wasn't going to steal his heart away. Years ago she had taken Wyatt's heart with her and now was the time to give it back.

"Where are you tonight," Jack pushed a strand of her hair behind her ear and nibbled on her neck. "All you have had time for lately is spending time with your mom and trying to find that Ray guy."

Rachel melted against Jack letting him wash all thought of Wyatt out of her head. This was her husband, her future. Her life was complicated enough without adding extra pressure. "I'm sorry, babe. I just want to get this guy so that we can go home."

Jack undid the buttons on her blouse and trailed his mouth down her collarbone. "How about we forget about him for tonight. We need to spend some time together.'

"We could spend time together if you didn't disappear all the time," she laid back on the couch and he climbed on top of her.

"Why don't you go with me tomorrow? I can show you what I've been working on."

"I don't know. What if they need me at head quarters?"

"Well, why don't I go with you?"

Rachel felt her heartbeat quicken. "You know I can't let you into HQ. Some of these guys don't like ordinaries." She cringed at the lie she had told her husband. It was true that some of the men didn't trust ordinaries but her mother wouldn't let anything happen. The real reason he couldn't be there was because of Wyatt and Logan. Telling Jack about her being a transgenic was one thing; Eye's Only was Wyatt's secret. "Anyways, you would be bored."

"Then come with me," he nibbled on her earlobe.

Rachel closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of his mouth on her. All she needed was to get out of Seattle then everything could go back to normal. Her past wouldn't be staring her in the face every morning or giving her sweet kisses at night. Instead he could happily haunt her dreams like he had done for the past six years. "What if I don't go with you," she asked teasingly.

"Then I'm going to have to torture you. We have ways of making you talk," he said in a German accent before tickling her.

She squirmed and rolled off the couch trying to get him to stop. "Fine. I will go with you."

Jack joined her on the floor and kissed her until they heard their son calling for Rachel. Braden always had great timing. "Ignore it, he will fall asleep," Jack tried to kiss her again.

Rachel rolled out from underneath him, springing to her feet. "If we were at home I would but he's not used to my apartment."

"You coddle him too much. How is he going to grow into a man when his mommy is always running to him at the first sign of distress?"

Rachel paused at the anger coming from Jack. This wasn't a new argument that they were having. Jack had always made it clear that he wants his son to grow up independent. If it were up to Jack she wouldn't have been able to go to him when he cried and he would already know how to take care of himself. "I'm sorry I didn't grow up in a cold environment like you did. If my child wants me then I am going to be there for him."

"You're just setting him up for failure."

"I'm not going to fight with you," Rachel walked down the hall to the room Braden was staying in. With everything that was going on the last thing she was going to do was ignore her son.

Wyatt sat at the bar at Crash nursing a glass of whiskey. There were no more files to go through or leads to follow so now all his time went to staying buzzed. He didn't want to think about the fact that the woman he loved was so close and yet so far from his reach. Since ten that morning his goal has been to stay completely numb and he had to admit he had done a good job.

Across the room he could see his father and Max having a discussion huddled close together while Rachel's father stared down the two of them. If he were a betting man he would have to say that Alec may have fallen for the mother of his child. It's too bad that Logan and Max only had eyes for each other. They both had people in their lives that would bend over backwards to be with them. What was that old saying? Love is blind. Too bad it was also deaf, dumb, and plain stupid.

Wyatt took another sip of his drink feeling the liquid burn his throat. He had a thought to visit Jenny but no time spent in her bed would erase the memory of Rachel in his. His father and mother had been away for the weekend and he had promised to make her dinner but that wasn't the only thing that happened that night. He could see her with her hair spread over his pillow and a smile on her lips while they made love. The memory was permanently etched in his mind.

Feeling eyes on him, Wyatt turned back to his father and Max who were watching him. His father gave a smile before walking over to him with Max in tow. "We know who Ray is," his father started.

"Good, then take him out and get Rachel out of here," Wyatt looked straight at Max while speaking to his dad.

"Is that what you really want," Max asked.

"All I want is to stop hurting."

Max glanced away from him and he knew she understood exactly what he was talking about. The man she was in love with had a wife and adult son. "Ray is White's son."

Wyatt turned to his father," I don't understand. Didn't you give him a new identity and send him away?"

"I did," Logan nodded.

"How do you know it's him?"

"We checked with his Aunt and it seems like the breeding cult found him when he was a teenager. They took him back."

Wyatt felt the buzz he had been working on disappear. Max and his father had told him about the breeding cult many times and what he remembered most was that they were dangerous. If it were up to him he would send Rachel into hiding until this was all resolved.

"Max, I think you should tell Rachel what is going on," Logan sent her on her way. They sat there watching until she was out the door. "I did a search on Jack that didn't paint him in a good light."

"What did you find," Wyatt asked.

"It seems that Jack was living near Seattle until about six years ago and just happened to end up in the same city Rachel did."

"You think Jack is one of Ray's breeding cult buddies?"

"I don't have enough to go on but we should be cautious. He has a profile at the school that the breeding cult operates from."

Rachel squatted down and licked her finger so that she could wipe off the ketchup that was left on Braden's cheek. For someone so small he was good at making big messes. He had kept himself busy by coloring before lunch and the marker had ended up on the table more than the paper. She had been mad until he had smiled at her with his front tooth missing.

"Are you almost ready," Jack asked staring at his watch for the thousandth time. She wasn't sure what was going on but he had been jittery all morning. When Braden had tipped his orange juice glass over he had almost bit the poor kid's head off. Rachel was starting to feel uncomfortable. The man who had been in her apartment this morning was nothing like her laid back husband.

"Five minutes. I just need to get Braden to his grandpa." Rachel reached to get his backpack that was full of his toys and pushed Braden towards the door. "I'll be right back."

As soon as they made it to HQ Braden ran to Alec who scooped him up in his arms. "Hey big man. Are you ready to go on patrol with me?" Braden nodded enthusiastically. "Rachel, before you leave. I was wondering if you have seen your mother this morning?"

"No, why?"

"She never came home from Crash last night which is odd because she left before I did."

Rachel felt her stomach drop," Should we be worried?"

"I don't think so. The guards who watch the gate said that they saw her come back to Terminal City."

"Something is not right, dad. I have this horrible feeling."

Alec put Braden down and he skipped over to Joshua who was busy painting. "Let me take care of this. You just go and have some time off," He kissed the top of her head and then she started back to Jack.

Something was not adding up. Her mother was gone, Jack was acting strange, and there had been no new letters since the one sent to her mother. When she was at home the letters had been waiting for her everyday. Why would they stop now?

Jack was waiting at the bottom of the stairs when she made it back to the apartment. He didn't say much to her just walked away down the street. Being a highly alert killing machine she noticed that his heart was pounding faster than normal and his shoulders were tensed. Something was going on. He turned down a side street and ended near a tall building that had once been a water tower. The painted letters on the side had been worn away from years of rain and snow and because of the buildings beside it there was little direct sunlight. "Where are we going?"

He didn't answer but opened the door for her to walk through. She stepped in front of him when she heard a familiar click and something hard being pressed to the back of her head. "What's going on, Jack?"

"Just keep moving," there was a hardness to his voice that he had never used on her before.

They rounded the corner of a long hallway and walked down hearing their footsteps echo off the walls. The tile was black and white checkered that looked like it could use a good cleaning. He pushed her through a door on her right; which opened up to a big warehouse where she saw her mother tied to a post in the center.

They had almost reached her mother when Jack tossed her to the ground. She turned towards Jack and saw him as she had never seen before. How easy it would be take him down but first she wanted answers. "I know what you're thinking," he sneered. "It would be easy for me to take him out but I promise you won't get to me before I shoot your mom; which would be terrible for her because she isn't the one I plan to kill."

"I don't understand. You work for Ray?"

"Oh, it's worse than that my dear. You see I am Ray." Rachel's jaw dropped. "I'm surprised your mother didn't recognize me since we have met before."

"What do you want with us?" Rachel slowly inched towards her mother and leaned against the post. Her side was aching from falling on the ground.

"A long time ago your mother stole me from my father and I just want to payback the favor."

Rachel pulled at her mother's tied hands until the rope gave way. The only thing holding her mother back now was a gag. "How did you know about me?"

"I've was well aware of what was going on in Terminal City and when you left it gave me the best opportunity to take you down."

"Then why didn't you?"

Ray got a smirk on his face as if his thought was extremely appealing. "I was going to ruin your life before I killed you in front of your mother. How does it feel 452 to know that she is going to die because of you?"

Max sprang up and pulled the gag from her face. "Not as good as it's going to feel when I rip you apart."

Ray let off a few shots that they easily dodged as they made there way behind some large boxes that were stacked in the corner. The only thought that went through her mind was her son. What would happen to him if she were hurt? "Was it all a lie, Jack? Did you ever love me?"

"You're transgenic scum. I used you Rachel. You are nothing to me."

She felt a small tear sail down her cheek as she turned to her mother. "What about our son?"

Rachel could hear his footsteps getting closer but couldn't make out where they were coming from. She turned to look over the box and saw a shadow heading towards her mother. She signaled and Max moved over to the box she was huddled behind.

"I guess we both know he's not my problem."

Rachel moved to maneuver behind him tiptoeing to not be heard when her foot got stuck and she tripped. Jack was on her in seconds pulling her up against his chest, a chest she had cuddled against many times. He pressed his gun against her temple. "Okay 452. Now I need you to come out and watch this. It will be more satisfying that way and don't even think of trying to save her."

"Do what he says I'll be fine." Max came out from behind the box with her hands in the air. "I need you to take care of Braden for me and make sure he knows how much his mommy loved him."

Just then the door flew open and Wyatt stepped in with his gun raised at Jack.

"It looks like your knight in shining armor is here to try and save you. Too bad he's too late. I'm going to kill one of them and it's up to you."

Jack tried to pull the trigger and shoot Wyatt when Rachel grabbed his arm. Shots rang out as he punched her in the side. She grunted and fell to the ground. She watched Jack run out the door where her mother took off after him.

"Rach," she heard Wyatt call out to her.

She took a steadying breath before crawling over to Wyatt who was lying on the ground. "That was enough excitement for one day," she joked.

"For me too," he pulled his hand away from his body when she noticed it was covered in blood.

"You were hit," she could hear the panic in her voice. "We have to get you out of here." She tried to help him up but he fell back down. The bullet was close to his heart and the blood was pumping out of him with every heartbeat.

"I love you Rachel," he smiled and closed his eyes.

"I love you too," she felt his body go slack in her arms. "Wyatt," she shook him. "Wyatt."

Max ran back into the room falling down on her knees.

"Wyatt," Rachel cried over his body. "Braden is your son."

_I'm sorry it took so long to get the next part up. I hope you enjoyed it! Please, Please, Please leave a comment._


	7. Chapter 7

One Year Later…

Rachel revved the engine of her Ninja staring down the street at the house she used to live in. The street was quiet; which was normal for a Monday morning. Most of the residents would have already gone to work and dropped their kids off leaving the street deserted. The place looked just as she left it and part of her wished things could be the same. A year ago she was happily married, oblivious to the evil schemes her husband was up to. It turns out that the man she thought to be her loving husband was just a son of an enemy that wanted to kill her.

That day in the warehouse Jack had turned into a stranger. His eyes held no emotion to the fact that he was holding a gun against her head. If it hadn't been for Wyatt she would be dead now. Rachel took a steadying breath before riding into her driveway. Her father had staked the place and found that Jack had never been back to the house so it was okay for her to collect her things. The house had been sold and the only thing she needed to grab before closing this chapter of her life was the pictures of Braden.

Rachel turned the knob on the door and pushed the door open. The house smelled musty from the fact that it hadn't been opened in months. She couldn't bring herself to come back and her dad had only been in once. On the wall beside the door held the first family photo that had been taken and from the picture you wouldn't suspect that there was anything odd about the family. There was no clue that the mother was a transgenic and the father was part of the breeding cult.

She walked down the hall as the pictures kept taunting her about how stupid she had been. What would have happened if she had never left Terminal City? What would her life have been like with Wyatt as her husband?

Rachel heard the door and open and turned around to see Jack in the doorway with a gun pointed at her. "Hello, my wife."

"What are you doing here," she asked trying to distract him while she reached for the gun she had tucked behind the stairs.

"Don't even think about it. I know where you hid every gun in the house."

She dropped her hand to her side and shrugged nonchalantly. "A girl can try."

"I would love to draw this out and get the full effect of the torture I want to put you through but I don't have the time."

"So, you're just going to kill me."

"That's the plan."

Before he could pull the trigger Rachel ran into their room and slid across the bed to get the gun she had hidden it. She felt under the mattress trying to find the bullets but couldn't get her hands on them.

"You're just making it more fun for me," he laughed.

Rachel made one last attempt and her hand landed on the box. After loading the gun she fired shot so she could run through her bathroom and make it into the living room; which would give her more room to move around. By the sound of his feet she could tell the Jack had walked back down the hallway and was standing behind the wall. "Why are you hiding, Jack," she taunted. "Your father would think it was a cowardly move."

Jack shot into the living room and a bullet passed right over her left shoulder through the couch. She was hoping he was still around the corner while she crept into Braden's room so that she could get out the window. Checking over the edge of the couch she made a mad dash to his room and slammed the door shot locking it behind her. Rachel ran at the window and fell through to the other side.

She felt a stabbing pain in her side when she realized that a piece of wood had pierced her. Rachel yanked it out and ran towards her Ninja and saw Jack coming out the front door. "Move one more step and I'll shoot you," she threatened. "I don't want to do this. You were a good father to Braden and up until that day at the warehouse you were a good husband."

She saw regret play over his features but it was gone as quick as it came. "So, now what?"

"I say we leave this fight for another day. It should happen when I'm in full form not when you have the obvious advantage."

She watched Jack slowly put his guns on the ground and she did the same before getting on her motorcycle and driving away. Subconsciously she knew that it wasn't over and this would be a fight she would have to complete in the future. Her mother always said once one bad guy was gone another was right behind. Who knew that the next bad guy was going to be her ex-husband?

Rachel thought of Braden and how hard it was going to be growing up knowing that the man you had called father for the first years of your life was the same man his mother was going to kill. Jack had been a good father and seeing his face she wondered if he didn't feel a little sad that he wouldn't see Braden again.

When she finally pulled up beside her home she let the tears fall. She cried for all the hurt Jack had caused in her life and the fact that nothing was going to be the same again. For a few brief years she had been allowed to live a normal life, free to be herself. Now she was back in Seattle having to embrace the fact that she was a transgenic. The truth was that she was being ordered back into hiding.

"Rach," she heard Wyatt call as he ran to her side. "Are you okay, baby?"

She collapsed into herself more letting his strong presence get her through this. She wasn't sure how long he held her but he didn't say a word until her sobs became small hiccups.

"What happened," he asked.

"I ran into Jack. He was at the house." She felt Wyatt stiffen. "We both took a few shots but he let me go."

"Did he get you?"

"No, but I had to jump out of Braden's window and I got cut by the wood," she lifted her shirt so he could see the puncture wound.

He picked her up and carried her up the stairs to their apartment. Wyatt gently placed her on the bed and got supplies to clean her wound. His fingers were soft to the touch and gave her chills as he worked cleaning and dressing her side. When he was done her placed his hand over her belly," I don't want you going out alone while Jack is still out there. At least not until this baby is born."

Rachel intertwined her fingers with his on top of her protruding belly. "But that's four months," she complained.

"Small price to pay for this little miracle," he leaned over and kissed her belly.

"Daddy," they heard their son yelling from the other room. Braden came running in and threw himself on the bed. Wyatt grabbed his arm and pulled Braden into his arms.

"Hey, buddy. Did you have fun at grandpa's?"

Logan walked into the bedroom. "Little monster kept us up all night. Your mother's probably getting some much needed sleep right now."

"Did you keep them up all night," Rachel asked.

"Yes," Braden nodded his head looking very pleased with himself.

"Braden, come give mommy a kiss," Braden lay down by her side and she pressed a kiss to the top of his head.

"Rachel ran into Ray while she was cleaning out her house," Wyatt peered over his shoulder to see whether Braden was aware that they were talking about Jack.

"Can you go put your bag in your room for mommy," Rachel asked Braden. Her son leapt off the bed and gave Logan a hug before racing towards his room.

"We need to get rid of him. He's not just after you Rachel. Max's life is in danger too," Logan shifted his feet and leaned against the doorframe.

"Have you found out where he has been staying," Rachel asked. Logan rubbed his hand against his neck in the same fashion Wyatt does and she couldn't help but smile. He was clearly nervous about telling them the answer.

"It seems Jack Parker got a job at Harbour Lights."

Wyatt tensed and looked up at his father. "That's in Seattle. You knew he was here the whole time?"

"No. I found out two weeks ago and have been planning to stake out his house. Find out what he has been up to. It's been a long time since I've dealt with the breeding cult loonies."

"Do you need someone to help," Rachel asked seeing her window of escape.

"Don't talk shop with her," Wyatt warned. "I just put her on bed rest."

"Well, on that note, I will talk to Max. I'll see you later."

When Logan was gone Rachel settled down in the bed and closed her eyes. It had been a long day. "Are you literally going to keep me captive for four months?"

"You can bet your life on it. I wasn't able to take care of you while you were carrying Braden."

Rachel felt tears prick the back of her eyes at the reminder that she had taken his son away from him. She had been eighteen and scared that his relationship with the two of them would cause his death. A month after she had moved to Kieran Falls she had woken up to her stomach in knots and when she had ducked her head in the toilet to get violently sick she knew that Wyatt had given her a little piece of him to take with her. All the pain of leaving him behind had gone away, knowing that she would be having his baby.

"No amount of apologies will every make up for what I did to you," she whispered.

"It's in the past. All I want you to focus on right now is giving me a healthy baby." Wyatt pulled her into the curve of his body and started rubbing her belly until the baby kicked.

"I guess Jack is the new bad guy in my life."

"Yup."

"And he's not going away until I take care of him."

"Nope."

**The End.**

_Thanks to all the readers but a special thanks goes to those who wrote comments. You are the reason I like to write. Hope you will take a second and write any last comments you have. Did you like the ending? What was your favorite part of the story?_


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